DENVER, CO – MARCH 10: Goalie Reto Berra #20 of the Colorado Avalanche looks during a break in the action against the Los Angeles Kings at Pepsi Center on March 10, 2015 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

PHILADELPHIA — It’s Day 1 of my 16-day, seven-city trek through a handful of hockey’s greatest markets. I already miss my princess dog Jessie, son Anthony and girlfriend Valerie. But, yeah, this will be a memorable adventure.

Game 1 is Tuesday against the Flyers. Then we have Boston on Thursday, Montreal on Saturday, Toronto next Tuesday, Nov. 17 (hello Hockey Hall of Fame), Pittsburgh on Nov. 19, Washington on Nov. 21 and Winnipeg on Nov. 23.

An often-asked question: Do you fly with the team? No. I’m commercial (nine flights this trip). The team is all charter. Feel sorry for me yet?

Semyon Varlamov (.890 save percentage), save for his win at Tampa Bay, has not been good enough. And Berra (.943) is probably not equipped to sustain himself.

It’s rare that NCAA or major-junior linemates get a chance to play together in the NHL. But the Avs’ Jack Skille and Ben Street — who won the NCAA title as freshmen for Wisconsin in 2006 — have done just that.

Footnotes. Philly’s problem is not goalie Michal Neuvirth. The Czech Republic native leads the NHL in shutouts (three) and is tied in save percentage (.945). He is fourth in goals-against average (1.81). … First-year Flyers coach Dave Hakstol spent the previous 15 years on the University of North Dakota staff, including the past 11 as head coach. He was hired by Philly general manager Ron Hextall, whose youngest son Brett played for Hakstol at UND.

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